Brake-operating mechanism



June 24, 1930.

' A. MooRHousE 1,766,923 l BRAKE OPERATING MECHANISM Fiiea May 21, 192eA TTORNE Y.

Patented June 24, 1930 errant noonnousn, or DETROIT, moineau, issienoa'ro recrean Moron CAR company, er DETROIT, encarnan, a coaroaerren er`moineau BRAKE-OPERATING MECHANSIVI Application filed May 21, 19.98.Serial No. 110,7:3734

rlhis invention relates to motor vehicles and `r)articularl to brake oeratin mecha-` nism therefor. `The invention is especially ada ated tofour Wheel brakes and it is shown as applied to a vehicle having a pairof front and a pair of rear brakes.

Most motor vehicles today 4have two separate means for operating thebrakes of the vehicle, usually a hand lever and afoot lever. The footleverV is vused as a service brake and the hand lever as the standingbrake. lt is also desirable that one brake may be used in case of thefailure of the other for any reason as by breakage of a. connecting partor by carelessness on Athe part of va workman in connecting the brakeparts.

It is usually desirable that more braking effort shall be applied to therear Wheels of a vehicle than to the front Wheels though sometimes thereverse is true, and Various l means for 'accomplishing one orthe other,arrangement have been used. This applies more particularly to the footor service apl'ilication ofl the brakes, it being sufiicient usually teconnect the hand lever to only two of the brakes, more often the rearWheel brakes. i y

:Something more than the ordinary factor of safety is desirable in brakemechanism. W' here .unusual safeguards can vbe placed around theoperation of a vehicle, the manufacturer is inclined to provide them.Too much duplication of parts is of coursenot desirable but Whereduplication of brake connections will serve a useful purpose in anemergency, it is .highlydesirable to employ them. j

lt is one of the objects of the present invention to provide inconnection with a brake mechanism suchV as above described, anadditional means Whichwill come into operation upon the failure of someof the parts normally connecting a brake lever With the brakes.

A further object ofthe invention is to provide a normally inoperativeconnection between the' brake operating rock shafts whereby one shaftmay be operated `by the other shaft upon impairment or failure of thebalanced connection between theshafts; Y

A further object of the invention is to. provide means for preventingdistortion of thebrake operating rock shafts bythe bal? ancedconnectingmechanism which Voperates them. f

Other objects and advantages will appear from the following descriptiontaken in connection Ywith the drawings illustrating a preferredembodiment of my invention and in which: Y

Fig. 1 is a plan view ofthe middle p0rtion of a motor vehiclev chassisWithbrake actuating mechanism` embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is an elevation and part section takenl substan'tially'on theline 2 2 of Fig. 1.'

Figis an enlarged View showing more in detail an operating connectionbetween the rock shafts; and y Fig. Ll isa view similar to Fig. 3,illus- `trating another form of therdistortion prevention means usedindependently of the interconnection between the `rock shafts.

Referring to .the drawings, l() represents a motor vehicle framecomprising side bars 11 and a cross bar 12. vIn Fig. ,1 the brakes ofthe vehicle .are indicated diagrammati- Ycally as they may be of anyVdesired `con-t struction. The front brakes are shovvnat 13 and the rearbrakes'at 14, and `it is'in` tended that theseV brakes shall be operatedeither simultaneously as a service brake, or one of the pairs beforetheother pair as a standing brake.-

l A Y For `operatingthe front pairfof brakes there is a rock shaft 15Vand foroperating the rear brakes thereis a rock shaft 1G,

these ,shafts being mounted in suitable kran' arm 1QO'and a link 21connecting the arm with therespective brakes 1li, so that slightly lesspressure than those at the otherA end.. The connections include a longarm 26 on the rock shaft 15, a shorter arm 27 on the rock shaft 16, afloating lever 26 pivotally connected'between its ends to the end of thearm 27, as at 29, a link 30 connecting the end of the arm 26 with oneend of the floating lever 28, and a rod 31 connecting the other end ofthe floating lever 2S with an arm 32 on the lever 22. lVith thismechanism it will be seen Athat wheny the lever 22 is operated the arms26 and 27 will be drawn toward each other with balanced or constantlyrelated action between them so that the shafts 15 and 16 are rocked andthe front and rear brakes actuated. This is the normal operation of allfour brakes of the vehicle and this mechanism is, generally speaking,termed the service brake.

For a standing brake, that is a brake to hold the vehicle when parked,the hand iever 24 is connected to one of the rock shafts, preferably therock shaft 16, through a rod and an arm 34, the latter being connectedto the rock shaft 16. The rod 33' las a pin and slot connection 35 withthe arm 3s*- so that the shaft 16 may he rocked by the foot leverwithout at the same time rocking the hand lever 24. Also, the pivotalconnection 29 is in a slot 36 in the homing lever 28 so that the pinf29may move in said slot 36v when the shaft 16 is rocked by the hand-leverand thus canse no corresponding movement of the foot lever. vAny usnalvor suitable means, not shown, for retaining the hand lever in its setposition may be used.

vVith the above construction the rear brakes 14 may be actuated by thehand lever 24 regardless of what may happen to the described connectionsbetween thevfoot lever 22 and the rock shafts. i

Since there is no equalization between one of the brakes of a pair andthe other, Vit will be seen that failure of one of the rods 19 or 21would have no effect on the other three brakes. There is, however, tiepossibility that several of these connections may break at one time ormay fail due to a careless workman omitting to properly connect them7`and it is for the purpose of further safeguarding the braking mechanismthat the present invention provides a' second interconnection betweenthe rock shafts 15 and 16 whereby the rocking of shaft 16 by the footlever 22 will also Vrock shaft 15 even though the balanced actionbetween the shafts is otherwise interfered with. This interconnection isillustrated in the form of intermeshing segments on the shafts 15 and 16and, as shown, the segment 37 is in thel form of a. single gear toothand the segment 38 represents two gear teeth between which the tooth 37is arranged. There is some clearance between these teeth, shown somewhatexaggerated in the drawings but suliicient to permit the balanced actionbetween the front and rear pairsy of brakes in the normal operation ofthe service brake. This clearance or back-lash or looseness may beindicated by the spaces on both sides of the tooth 37. Y

By the above arrangement it will he seen that should the connectionsfrom the rock .shaft 16 to both of the brakes 14- entirely fail thefront brakes of the vehicle could still be actuated by the foot lever 22because the initial movement of the -foot lever 22 would take up thelooseness between the segments 37 andl 38 and the further movement ofthe rock shaft 16 would rock the shaft 15 through those segments, Thisrocking of the shaft 15 would of course actuate the front brakes 13.

This `second interconnection between the rock shafts 15 and 16 alsocauses a. partial actuation of the front brakes when Vthe rear brakesare set by the hand lever 24.-. Thus'. when the hand lever 24 rocks theshaft 16 the pin 29 moves in the slot 36 and the segment 38 then takesnp the lost motion between itself and the segment 37 and the shaft 15 isthen rocked with the continued rocking of the shaft 16. Thns the rearbrakes are first actuated and the front brakes are later actuated by themovement of the hand lever 24.

Application of the brake mechanism by the foot lever 22 tends to springthe rock shafts 15 and 1,6 towards each other. The supporting brackets17 for these shafts are rather widely separated and this springing ofthem would be considerable were it not for the means employed herein forresisting-it. Referring to Fig. 3, it will be seen that .the top ofthetooth 37 bears against the bottom` of the space between the teeth of thesegment and as the shafts are rocked this tooth 37 rocks against theconver; surface with which it is in contact and prevents the shafts 15and 16 from springing or being distorted.v K

Should it be desirable to apply the principle o f this means forpreventing the distortion of the shafts'at another point in the lengthof the shafts, the construction shown in Fig. 4 may be employed. In thisform the shafts 15 and 16 have abutting arcuate surfaces thereonl asshown at 40. These surfaces rock on each other as the shafts are rocked,and consequently the shafts cannot be drawn closer together at Y thatpoint.

l. In a motor vehicle, the combination with a iront and a rear brake,devicesfor operating them respectively, a brake operating lever, andmeans connecting the lever to the devices for operating the brakes withbalanced action between them, of normally inoperative means foroperating both of said devices from said lever upon impairment of partsto an extent sufcient to destroy the balanced action. Y

2. In a motor vehicle, the combination with a pair of front brakes and apair of rear brakes, devices for operating the pairs respectively, anoperating lever, and means connecting the lever to the devices foroperating said brakes with balanced action between the pairs, ofnormally inoperative means for operating first one and then the other ofsaid devices from said lever upon impairment of parts sufficient todestroy the balanced action.

3. In a motor vehicle brake mechanism, the combination with two rockshafts for operating separate brakes, a lever, and

means for rocking said shaftsV from said lever with balanced actionbewteen them, of a normally inoperative connection between said shaftsfor causing a rocking action of said shafts by said lever uponimpairment of the balanced action between them.

4. In a motor vehicle, the combination with two rock shafts foroperating separate brakes, a lever, andV means for rocking said shaftsfrom said lever with balanced action between them, of normallyinoperative means on said shafts for operating one from the other uponimpairment or failure of parts that destroy the balanced action betweensaid shafts.

In a motor vehicle, the combination wth two rock shafts Vfor operatingseparate brakes, a lever, and means for rocking said shafts from saidlever withbaljanced action between them, of4 normally inoperativegearingbetween said shafts for rocking one shaft by the other shaft upon'mpairment of the balanced Iaction between them.

G. InV a motor vehicle, the ,combination with two rock shafts foroperating separate brakes, a lever, and means for rocking said shaftsfrom said lever, of gearing between said shafts having considerable backlash in both directions so that the gearing is normally inoperative butbecomes operative upon failure of someother part of the mechanism. 1

7. In brake mechanism7 'the combination of two parallel rock shafts,means for rocking the shafts adapted Ltospring the shafts towardseachother, and (3o-operating arcuate means secured to and moving withtheV shafts for retaining the shafts in alinement. 8.In brake mechanism,the combination of rock shafts supported adjacent their. ends,

means connected toy the .shafts-between their ends for rocking theshafts, said means tending to spring the shafts towards each other,`androlling contact faces onthe shafts to prevent misalinement oftheshafts.' f

l9. In a motor vehicle, the combina-tionof two brake-'rock shafts, meansforoperating said shafts with balanced action between them, loosely fmeshing lgears between saidshafts adapted todbe inoperative in thenormal operation ofthe mechanism but to comev into action'uponimpairment4 of the balanced action, and arcuate surfaces on co-operatingparts of said gearing adaptedto ycontact to prevent springing of theshafts towards each other. 1 i

l0. In a vehicle Ahaving a brake on each wheeland a connected brakelever and rock shaft, means operated upon oscillationof the Vrock shaftfor applying the brakes of the rear wheels,fmeans for applying thebrakes ofthe front wheels simultaneously with the brakesof the rearwheels, and connectionsbetween the rock shaft and the last mentioned imeans for independently applying the brakes of the front wheels when thebrakes ofthe vrear wheels are inoperative.

VV` 12. In a lvehicle having av brake on each wheel, acpair of .rockshafts mountedupon the vehicle, Iconnectionsfrom one ofjsaid rockshaftsto the brakes of the lfront wheels and connections from the otherrock shaft to the brakes of the rear wheels, a brake lever connected andarrangedto oscillate ,said rock shafts with balanced action betweenthem, and lostmotion' connecting means be.

intermeshedmembers respectively secured 13.- They combination witha fourwheel brakingmechanism for vehicles including a brake leverand aV pairof: rock shafts fwith connections between the brake lever and the forretaining the shafts iii alignment, saidA rock shafts, of lost motionconnecting means latter means being independent of the shaft between theshafts whereby the brakes of supporting means.

the wheels at one end of the vehicle may be actuated when the brakes ofthe wheels at theother end of the vehicle are inoperative.

14. The combination with braking mechanism for vehicles including a pairof rock shafts arranged to be oscillated during the application andrelease of the brakes, of cooperating means carried exclusively by theshafts and moving therewith for maintaining the desired distance betweenthe shafts during the application of the brakes.

l5. rlhe combination with a four wheel braking mechanism for vehiclesincluding a carrying a projecting tooth adapted to enter K said recessand having an arcuate outer wall arranged to Contact the arcuate wall ofthe recess during the oscillations of the shafts.

16. In a motor vehicle, the combination with front and rear brakes, of alever and connections for operating said brakes simultaneously, and asecond lever and connections for operating said brakes, the initialmovement of said second lever operating the brakes at one end of thevehicle and a continued movement thereof picking up and operating thebrakes atthe other end of the vehicle. y

17. In brake mechanism, he combination of two parallel rock shafts,brakes operated by said shaftsand connected thereto .adjacent the endsof the shafts, means connected to the shafts between their ends forrocking the shafts, said means tending to spring the shafts toward eachother, and cooperating means positionedk on and moving with the shaftsfor retaining the shaftsinalignment.

18. In brake mechanism, the lcombination of two parallel rock shafts,means for rocking the shafts adapted to spring the shafts toward eachother, and coi-operating means positioned on andV rotating with theshafts for retaining the shafts iii alignment, said latter means beingmounted adjacent the connection of the rocking means to the shafts. K Y

19.In brake mechanism, the combination oftwo parallel rock shafts, meansadjacent the ends of' the shafts for supporting the shafts, meansconnected to Vthe shafts between their ends for rocking. the shafts,said means tending to-spring the shafts towardv each other, andcooperating means positioned on and rotating with the shafts Intestimony whereof I afiiX my signature.

' ALFRED MooRHoUsE."

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